1. Had this tragedy not occurred, would Zachary have continued on the same path? Discuss what might have happened had the shooting never occurred.

2. Some critics fault Cadnum for the languid pace of his novels, while others praise the attention given to language and detail. Discuss Cadnum's style as a barrier to some readers while acting as a bridge to others.

3. If Edge was made into a movie, whom would you cast to play Zachary? Would you change the ending?

4. Cadnum said that some of his novels were inspired by newspaper stories.

Are there any recent news stories featuring teens that would make a good young adult novel? If so, why?

5. Cadnum attempts to get his readers to be "inside the head" of his characters.

How does he accomplish this?

6. Some reviewers pointed out that Edge exposed the flaws in the justice system.